Take a look at the Olympic rosters of all teams competing in the men’s tournament and then tell me the KHL hasn’t hurt the NHL.

No way you can say that. While many thought the KHL would be able to lure away many of the top-level players, so far that hasn’t happened—unless Ilya Kovalchuk has a genuine surprise for everyone at the end of the season.

But that’s not likely to happen either because, while he might get a long-term offer from a Russianleague team, he’d be nuts to take it—contracts in Russian not having quite the same meaning, if you get the drift here.

“I’m not here for the NHL, I don’t work for them, but I think we all have the same common goal to make the game of hockey bigger and better worldwide. I think the NHL knows and understands that. I hope that when they (the KHL, the IIHF and the NHL) meet in Vancouver (during the Olympics), they can all come to an understanding that will make both leagues happy.”

-Wayne Gretzky at the KHL All-Star Game. More by Risto Pakarinen at The Hockey News.

I caught up with Robert Esche after a recent KHL game between SKA and Dinamo Minsk to get his take on playing in the KHL. Esche was riding a bike in an NHL-like equipped training room inside the Ice Palace in St. Petersburg after his team dropped the decision to Dinamo Minsk.

Q. Do you think it is still an option for you being three years out of the NHL to come back to North America?

ESCHE: I don’t know. Right now I am a free agent over here. Obviously, I love St. Petersburg, and I love playing over here. If it works in the NHL, it works. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. I have kind of taken on a different role in my life, as opposed to when I was in Philly. I just went into a different direction. You just learn a lot about yourself when you’re over here. I think this was something I was lacking in the NHL. I guess time will tell what happens.

“If you’re a tough guy you should respect the honor code. There were people fighting around us and I was holding Verot. Then he told me: “Ok, we are done. No fighting”. I released his hand and in a second he punched me in the face. I didn’t see that coming and that’s why I fell down.”

-Jaromir Jagr on the brawl in the KHL yesterday.. More from Jagr at RussianHockeyfans.com.

• People who have watched Jiri Hudler with Moscow Dynamo say his heart’s not in it, but as one NHL executive says, “How do you turn your back on $10 million?” I’m sure he’ll be back in Detroit in two years. I know one thing: If the Red Wings knew Hudler was bolting for Russia, they would have moved to keep winger Mikael Samuelsson. Instead, they saved money for Hudler, who is seven years younger.

- - The Wings don’t feel Johan Franzen (knee) will be back until mid-February, so the Olympics are out, but if he somehow makes a quicker recovery, they have no objection to the Swedes adding him.

• The NHL is taking bids for next year’s Icemen Cometh outdoor game, but come on, if Alex Ovechkin, the best player in the game, isn’t on the bill at Yankee Stadium for the Washington Capitals against the New York Rangers, they’re missing the boat.